Tue Sep 17 05:03:20 UTC 2024: ## Putin Orders Massive Expansion of Russian Army, Aiming for Second Largest in the World

**Moscow, Russia** – President Vladimir Putin has ordered a significant expansion of the Russian military, boosting the size of the regular army by 180,000 troops to reach 1.5 million active personnel. This move would make Russia’s army the second largest in the world, surpassing the United States and India, and trailing only China.

The decree, published on the Kremlin’s website, aims to increase the overall size of the armed forces to 2.38 million, including the 1.5 million active servicemen. This marks the third expansion of the Russian army since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

This decision comes as Russian forces continue their offensive in eastern Ukraine, pushing forward on a 1,000-kilometer frontline and attempting to eject Ukrainian forces from Russia’s Kursk region. Despite Russia’s population advantage and success in recruiting volunteers on lucrative contracts, both sides have suffered heavy casualties in the ongoing conflict.

The increase in active troop numbers, according to Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of Russia’s lower house of parliament’s defence committee, is part of a plan to revamp the armed forces and match the current international situation, particularly after Finland joined NATO. He stressed the need for new structures and military units to ensure security in Russia’s northwest, bordering the newly joined NATO member.

While Russia has previously mobilized over 300,000 soldiers in 2022, the Kremlin maintains that no further mobilization is planned. Instead, they intend to rely on volunteers signing up to fight in Ukraine.

However, experts like Dara Massicot, an expert on the Russian military at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, question Moscow’s ability to financially sustain such a massive increase in active personnel. She raises concerns about the potential for unpopular measures like expanding the draft or allowing more women to serve in the military.

Massicot suggests watching for signs of genuine recruitment and expansion efforts, as the current volunteer method is facing strain. This substantial expansion, she warns, will lead to increased financial strain and could ultimately be a symbolic gesture aimed at intimidation rather than a genuine military buildup.

Read More